7 October 2010

Thank you for joining me once again for this week of cooking with wine to celebrate the Okanagan Wine Festival which celebrates the wine harvest until October 10th. Each day I am trying to incorporate a little wine into my cooking or at the very least linger over my kitchen stove with a glass in hand "Galloping Gourmet style". Do you remember Graham Kerr, my childhood idol, who rallied us around the television long before The Food Network? The series was known for its lighthearted humour, tomfoolery and the copious use of clarified butter, cream and fat. Graham also liberally featured wine, serving it with most meals, slurping it down while cooking, using it in his dishes, and waxing poetic about its virtues. All I have to say to that is we have both come a long way and moved over to a health conscious lifestyle! Now that fall is here (despite the fact that summer is lingering) it usually means the resurrection of comfort foods. When sick, or tired, or far from home, everyone seems to yearn for the gastronomic equivalent of a warm sweater, a kiss on the forehead, a favourite blanket. Comfort foods nourish the soul as well as our bodies. They tend to be foods that remind us of simpler times. They are familiar, simple foods. While an oven baked meatloaf with mashed potatoes, cheesy macaroni and cheese and a steaming cinnamon infused apple pie have been staples for many of us, for some of us comfort food may include a delicious gooey lasagna, a complex curry, earthy borscht or udon noodles.

No matter what evokes these feelings of comfort in each of us an ideal comfort food should "stick to the ribs", meaning it supplies a sense of fullness and satisfaction long after it has been consumed. There is absolutely NOTHING on the planet as comforting to me as a delicious, homemade macaroni and cheese. There's something very satisfying about making this classic yourself from start to finish. I make no apologies whatsoever for its cheese, butter and carbs.

When L'il Burnt Toast was "knee high to a grasshopper" she often had friends who didn't want to end their play date and would end up inviting themselves for dinner. I am sure those of you who have young children can relate very well to this..and the fact is...we don't mind at all do we? On one such occasion my daughters little friend egged my wee one on to be invited since we were having macaroni and cheese. Macaroni and cheese is a labour of love, which is always evolving, being the very first dish I ever learned to cook on my own. We sat down to dinner, I scooped a small portion for eagerly waiting little tummies. The "child not of my womb" picked up fork in hand, pushed a few penne from one side of her plate to another and announced, "This is going to make me barf". Of course she was fully expecting something that comes from a box. Silly me! It is my opinion that even if there is a time and a place for packaged macaroni and cheese a good homemade, gooey macaroni and cheese is a whole lot better than something made in a factory!

I am also sending this over to Presto Pasta Nights which has been the baby of Ruth over at Once Upon a Feast for over 3 glorious years. Whenever we feel the urge for some pasta we can go over to her site and have 3 years of entries from all over the world to choose from from pasta salad to lasagna to Pho. There is a pasta for every season, every ingredient and every taste. All of these delicious pasta dishes have been submitted by all of you!!! This week the event is being hosted by Jennifer at Cook, Eat, Play, Repeat.

I have followed and tried to join in on the fun whenever I have pasta. My cupboards are always full of pasta in countless shapes and sizes. It is simply too hard to resist at our local Italian grocers, especially since they have expanded!!! I want to have pasta every day of the year!!!!

With a splash or wine, some homemade Italian bread, and a little Dijon mustard this macaroni and cheese from Canadian Chef Michael Smith has its rightful place right up there with your own favourite family comfort foods. I added a little Parmesan and Provolone cheese on top since it is what I had on hand. Michael always says that a recipe is only a guideline so feel free to change it up however you like.

And what wines go well with this blast from the past? If you're going with a cheddar base, serve a cabernet or zinfandel with the dish. Add a good amount of Parmesan reggiano either into the cheese sauce or shave it on top of the dish. Also add a few twists of fresh cracked pepper. Cabernet and zinfandel love cheddar but they hit their zenith with parmesan reggiano. And the pepper notes will tie it all together.

I have also linked this post for Roz over at Bella Vita because life really is beautiful!!

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Drop the pasta into boiling, salted water and cook until almost tender, about 12 minutes. Make sure the water tastes like a day at the beach, as the pasta will absorb it and become properly seasoned. The pasta should not be fully cooked; it should have just a touch of firmness when tasted. Drain well.

To make the sauce, melt the butter in a saucepan over medium heat, add garlic and stir for several minutes until it softens and flavours the butter. Add the flour and stir with a wooden spoon until a smooth paste forms. Continue cooking for a few more minutes, in effect toasting the mixture and adding flavour to it. Slowly stir in the wine and continue mixing until smooth and then add both milks, mixing well again. Continue whisking until the mixture coats the back of a spoon. Add paprika, Dijon, cayenne, salt, pepper and cheeses and stir until melted.

Pour into a 9-inch by 13-inch ovenproof casserole or similar dish. Toast the bread with a splash of olive or two of olive oil, then sprinkle it evenly over the top of the cheese mixture. Bake until the mixture is heated through and the bread topping is golden brown, about 30 minutes.

Serves 6

You are reading this post on More Than Burnt Toast at http://morethanburnttoast.blogspot.com. Content must be credited to this author.

34 comments:

Oh yes, comfort food at it's best! I'm from the south where macaroni and cheese is listed as a vegetable on most home-style menus. I will say that, while my mother's was quite tasty (and always served as a side dish), I've made some that are far better and are served as entrees. Your's sounds like a winner!

I agree completely; mac and cheese is the ultimate comfort food. No matter how we dress it up, with add-ins and toppings, it's still the basic combination of pasta with gooey cheese that always makes us happy.

Val, this is one of Allie's favorite dinners- she asked me to make it this week before I have surgery and over a couple of days basically polished off the casserole! :) The only thing she won't let me do is add the bread topping (though everyone else loves it!) Gorgeous!xoxo Pattie

Graham Kerr was unforgettable!!! Bib scarf, and all! I do a mac 'n cheese mini unit in my grade 8 and 9 classes at the end of the term. I teach them how to make a roux. We have been working on seasonings. We do a cheese tasting and then I teach a basic recipe that we compare with KD, a "gourmet" recipe, and they do a "design your own" recipe. They all love the buttery bread crumbs on top of the basic recipe, as do I. I love onions in my mac 'n cheese... quite a few, actually, and then just cheesy goodness with the toasty buttered crumbs. There really is nothing like it, is there?:)Valerie

Having recently prepared my first macaroni and cheese from scratch, I totally agree with you that it is a labor of love and always evolving. I am now collecting ideas for my next try, so thank you for this.

That is a hilarious story about the little girl! I have seen that reaction time and again with kids who are used to nothing but packaged and processed foods! It is sad really! I would have LOVED your mac n' cheese as a kid!

Graham Kerr. I remember him well. He was a part of my whole food epiphany along with Julia. We owe him and Julia a whole lot of gratitude for starting the food movement. Your Mac and cheese is a perfect comfort food.

It sounds very good, but I think you mean 60 ml of butter and not 60 kL. That would leave a quite unhealthy version and dripping in butter fat. Of course, some of our American friends might not have understood the difference. All they have to do is multiply by 1 000 000. (big smile)

I totally remember Graham Kerr and used to collect the recipe cards my local grocer used for advertising. Cheers to lingering over a pot on the stove with a glass of wine! I think mac-a-cheese as we call it, is the ultimate comfort food and have been craving it for weeks. Sounds so yummy right now.

I had to add one more comment, if I may: I forgot to tell you that when I was in college, I had my first macaroni and cheese because it was so affordable. So I will always associate it with 'security' from my days of 'povera'. Thank you for sharing it on my weekly blog get-together. I hope many others find you through your wonderful additions to the link-up! Roz

I, too, remember Graham Kerr, who by the way, has also moved on to a healthier life style.

As for mac 'n cheese...yours looks positively gorgeous! I just made an interesting one with pumpkin myself. That said, once I got "beyond the box", I love trying out new versions. Thanks for sharing this one with Presto Paeta Nights.

This is absolutely the ultimate comfort food. Great addition with the toasted Italian bread! I loved Graham Kerr's show and his wit! He had a great white sauce and I loved how he always talked about his wife, Treena. He was definitely a pioneer in TV food show!

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My blog More Than Burnt Toast has been my passion for almost 9 years and has evolved with me over time as I have gained confidence in the kitchen. Follow my travels through Italy and Greece one recipe at a time, upcoming cooking classes at local Okanagan wineries and restaurants, as well as daily experimentation in my own kitchen. Every day we should be excited about what we are eating even if it just means making use of a wonderful find at our local farmers market. I look forward to getting to know you.